By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review contains spoilers.
I think I have made it very clear, in all of my reviews, that on top of loving every aspect of the storytelling, performances, score and production, The Rings of Power has affected me on an emotional and personal level as well. I cannot remember the last time a show has brought tears to my eyes or given me goosebumps each and every single week like The Rings of Power has. And Episode 5 ‘Partings’ is no different!
We start this week’s episode, as I imagined we would, with the Harfoots, who was missing from last week’s instalment. The Stranger’s vocabulary is improving, thanks to the tutelage of Nori, and she continues to help him come to terms with the way of the world, at least according to the Harfoots. We also get to see more of the grand scale of Middle-Earth as the Harfoots continue their migration – including a return of the map transition which I am very pleased about. The music used in this scene, along with Poppy’s mother’s travelling song just stirred all sorts of emotions within me and made this opening Harfoot scene a very touching and emotional way to start Episode 5. I beg of the showrunners, please release Poppy’s song on Spotify, I need to be able to listen to this song on repeat!
While The Stranger may be improving his ability to speak, it is a trio of mysterious and ominous, white-robed figures, led by an intense-looking Bridie Sisson, who is credited as ‘The Dweller’ that has certainly piqued my interest! They were investigating the sight where The Stranger crashed down to Middle-Earth – but why? And for what reason?
As the migration continues, Malva continues to be the most unlikeable of Harfoots in wanting to cut the Brandyfoot’s loose from the caravan. Is she gunning for Lobellia Sackville-Baggins’ crown as the most disliked Harfoot/Hobbit? After an intense wolf attack, in which The Stranger helped to save Nori, Poppy and Malva – you would like to think that Malva’s opinion might have changed! This scene was from the trailer, but I still enjoyed it. Seeing The Stranger use a ‘Force Push’ to fend off the wolves was still an exciting and great visual. His magical use in the episode also convinces with that is a wizard, but as to which one, in particular, I am still unsure.
In the Southlands, the Orcs have completed the tunnel and Adar is ready to call upon his legions of Orcs to march on Ostirith, where Arondir, Bronwyn and the other refugees have a decision to make – stand and fight or submit to slavery and servitude under Adar. Bronwyn’s inspired speech initially worked on the majority of the crowd, but Waldreg remonstrating that it would be better to join with Adar turned people’s opinions quickly! With the refugees divided, only a handful of refugees decided to remain with Bronwyn. The chances of victory were slim, even when they had the numbers, but now? Victory feels insurmountable. What we do learn, is that Waldreg is willing to do whatever it takes, including killing Rowan for Adar. We also learn that the hilt is in fact a key that can be used to enslave the people of the Southlands. Is this the key to making Mordor?
Over on Numenor, the father-son friction between Isildur and Elendil continues, and I am finding their relationship so compelling. I am really invested in how it develops or decays as the series progresses. The friction is not confined to father and son, as Pharazon is under fire from a sea of dissenting voices who see the Queen Regent’s cry to battle as risking Numenorian lives for ‘an Elf’ and therefore needless. A surprising voice, among those against the mission, is Earien – I will be honest, I did not see this coming! However, it makes for a really interesting story and character development. And if all that friction wasn’t enough, Halbrand’s reluctance to accept the crown has put him at odds with Galadriel. So much in-fighting and people on different sides – perfectly mirroring the situation in Ostirith, which I thought was a nice way to thread things among the different narratives. We were treated to a fun fight-training scene involving Galadriel, although while it had some nice moments, it was never allowed to breathe and was let down in the very cutty edit. This is becoming a theme with the sword fights we’ve seen so far. We also had a brief scene between the Queen Regent and King Tar-Palantir which suggested that he has a form of dementia, which hit close to home from an emotional standpoint and was good to seed into the story.
With the Harfoot’s omission last week, I thought that this week would be the turn of the Elves and Dwarves, however, I was happily proven wrong! Everyone was involved this week! This pleased me greatly as I love the relationship between Prince Durin and Elrond, and I am unbelievably greedy in my appetite for them to appear on my screen! “Loyalty to a friend ought to be expected. Regardless of race.” I love how Elrond stands by his friend, regardless of the fact he is speaking to the High King. Which of course made what happened next – the emotional manipulation from both the High King and Celebrimbor – even more heartbreaking. Thankfully my heart did not hurt for long, as Durin’s understanding and kinship with Elrond led to a positive outcome! Let’s just hope the prince can convince the King!
We end the episode with a stunning score and visual of Numenor sailing for Middle-Earth. I had all-over body chills at this point. Next week there is going to be a battle and I think the time spent establishing the stories and characters will all pay off in such a satisfying way. I cannot wait to get into the next episode!
This episode was overflowing with greatness! I am so happy that, despite packing in all of the different characters and stories, the flow of the episode worked really well! The pacing of every episode has been so good. There are never any wasted scenes or filler. Everything has its purpose, and you can just feel the build-up of stories and characters each and every week. Next week we are destined for a big release of action and hopefully uncover more clues to so many questions that continue to keep the audiences speculating as to who that person is, or what will happen next.
What did you think of this episode of The Rings of Power? Let us know in the comments or find us on social media!
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